


Blankets and Bookmarks

by siriusmistake



Category: Zombies Run!
Genre: Fluff, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Mute Runner Five, No Spoilers, Non-Binary Runner Five, Other, does this count as, fictional character deaths hurt, vague Harry Potter references
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-07
Updated: 2015-09-07
Packaged: 2018-04-18 18:28:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 571
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4716158
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/siriusmistake/pseuds/siriusmistake
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In which Five finally gets Sam to read their favorite book series. (Because I saw <a href="http://clarastimevortex.tumblr.com/post/101391995646/whatever-you-do-dont-imagine-one-half-of-your-otp">this tumblr post</a> and was inspired.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Blankets and Bookmarks

_I still cannot believe you haven't read Harry Potter,_ Five lazily signed to Sam, who was currently doubling as a human pillow. He laughed quietly and untangled his fingers from their grasp to affectionately tousle their hair. Adjusting the book in his lap, he said, "Shush. I'm trying to read, here." Five smiled and took his hand again, letting their eyes drift shut.

This wasn't the first time they'd had this conversation. When Five found out that Sam had never been introduced to the series, they were flabbergasted, and insisted he start The Philosopher's Stone at once. He fell in love with the story instantly, and devoured the books... until he had to stop, due to the many unfortunate gaps in the township's tiny library. (Sam had wanted to just skip the missing book and go straight to the next one on the shelf, but _S-P-O-I-L-E-R-S_ Five fingerspelled with a pointed glare.)

So they waited.

When another runner finally found and brought back the missing book, it went first to the primary school classroom. Then, once the kids were finished with it, the novel made its way to the comms shack. At Five's request, the teacher had firmly instructed the children not to tell Sam anything about the plot, so now whenever they came across the radio operator, there was a chorus of excited, whispered shushing and a flurry of giggles as they scrambled in the opposite direction.

The volume was mostly intact except for a chunk missing from the middle, which Five had narrated to the best of their ability via sign and pantomime (" _I_ can't believe you have this book _memorized_ , Five.") And so Sam resumed his journey through the world of Harry Potter.

That led them to where they were now - holed up in Sam's room on a stormy evening, curled together on the bed in a cozy pile of pillows and blankets borrowed from absent roommates. Sam sat with the heavy book in his lap and his arm around Five's waist. They leaned against his side, their head resting on his shoulder and their fingers laced with his, the steady rise and fall of his chest rocking them to sleep. The sound of rain drumming on the roof and pattering against the window, punctuated by the occasional rustle of a turning page, was a soothing lullaby in the darkness lit by the glow of a battery-powered lantern. 

Five felt a shift beneath them as Sam tilted the book closer to the lamplight, staring at the page in disbelief before flipping back to the one before it. His eyebrows drew together and his mouth hung open; the more he reread, the deeper his expression of distress became, and at last he let out a quiet, pained "nooooo" that trailed off into stunned silence.

_What?_ Trying not to let a grin creep onto their face, Five craned their neck to see which chapter he'd reached.

"Why did he have to die?" Sam said. At the look of utter dismay on his face, they twisted until they could drape an arm over his shoulders, and he curled into them, emitting a soft, high-pitched keen out of grief for a fictional character.

Five kissed his forehead in sympathy and then pointed at the book in his hands. _Keep reading_ , they signed with a gentle smile. He responded with a kiss on their cheek before he looked down and turned the page.

**Author's Note:**

> Come shout with me about Harry Potter feels and OTP fluff at siriusmistake.tumblr.com


End file.
